Published, May 2021

Agricultural Business and Finance

Primary Career Cluster: Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources
Course Contact: CTE.Standards@tn.gov
Course Code(s): C18H11
Prerequisite(s): Organizational Leadership and Communications (C18H18)
Credit: 1
Grade Level: 12
This course satisfies one of three credits required for an elective focus
Elective Focus –
when taken in conjunction with other Agriculture, Food, & Natural
Graduation
Resources courses. In addition, this course satisfies the Personal
Requirements:
Finance and Economics requirement for graduation.
This course satisfies one out of two required courses to meet the
POS Concentrator: Perkins V concentrator definition, when taken in sequence in the
approved program of study.
Programs of Study and
This is the fourth and final course in the Agribusiness program of study.
Sequence:
Aligned Student
FFA: http://www.tnffa.org
Organization(s):
All Agriculture students are encouraged to participate in a Supervised
Agricultural Experience (SAE) program. In addition, teachers who hold
an active WBL certificate may offer placement for credit when the
Coordinating Work-
requirements of the state board’s WBL Framework and the
Based Learning:
Department’s WBL Policy Guide are met. For information, visit
https://www.tn.gov/content/tn/education/career-and-technical-
education/work-based-learning.html
Credentials are aligned with postsecondary and employment
opportunities and with the competencies and skills that students
Promoted Tennessee
acquire through their selected program of study. For a listing of
Student Industry
promoted student industry credentials, visit
Credentials:
https://www.tn.gov/education/career-and-technical-education/student-
industry-certification.html
Teacher Endorsement(s): 048, 150, 448, and 950

Required Teacher Teachers must attend the state approved training to teach personal
Certifications/Training: finance for this course to satisfy the personal finance requirement.

https://www.tn.gov/education/career-and-technical-education/career-
Teacher Resources: clusters/cte-cluster-agriculture-food-natural-resources.html
Best for All Central: https://bestforall.tnedu.gov/

Approved April 10, 2015; Amended April 15, 2016; Amended Nov. 6, 2020
Course-At-A-Glance
CTE courses provide students with an opportunity to develop specific academic, technical, and 21st
century skills necessary to be successful in career and in life. In pursuit of ensuring every student in
Tennessee achieves this level of success, we begin with rigorous course standards which feed into
intentionally designed programs of study.

Students engage in industry relevant content through general education integration and experiences
such as career & technical student organizations (CTSO) and work-based learning (WBL). Through
these experiences, students are immersed with industry standard content and technology, solve
industry-based problems, meaningfully interact with industry professionals and use/produce industry
specific, informational texts.

Using a Career and Technical Student Organization (CTSO) in Your Classroom

CTSOs are a great resource to put classroom learning into real- life experiences for your students
through classroom, regional, state, and national competitions, and leadership opportunities.  Below
are CTSO connections for this course, note this is not an exhaustive list.     
• Participate in CTSO Fall Leadership Conference to engage with peers by demonstrating logical
thought processes and developing industry specific skills that involve teamwork and project
management.
• Participate in career and leadership development events (CDE/LDE) that highlight job skill
demonstration. These include but not limited to Farm Business Management, Agricultural
Communications, Agricultural Issues, Cooperative Development Challenge, Employment
Skills, Parliamentary Procedure, Extemporaneous Speaking, and Prepared Public Speaking.

Using a Work-based Learning (WBL) in Your Classroom

Sustained and coordinated activities that relate to the course content are the key to successful work-
based learning. Possible activities for this course include the following. This is not an exhaustive list. 
• Standards 2-5 | Have an industry representative as a guest speaker with one of the topics
dealing with the aspects determining needed occupational skills.
• Standards 7-13 | Have the students work with an accountant or bookkeeper to evaluate data
sets to make personal and business financial recommendations.
• Standards 11-12, 15-17 | Do a project to be used by a local industry or evaluated by local
industry managers.
• Standards 18-22 | Integrated project with a professional.

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Course Description
Agricultural Business and Finance is an applied course that addresses the economic and business
principles necessary to operate a successful agribusiness. The course covers a wide range of topics in
business, finance, economics, and management. Upon completion of this course, proficient students
will have learned to apply the principles drawn from these topics toward activities that support their
own business aspirations in the agriculture industry. Agricultural Business and Finance is a dual credit
course with statewide articulation.

Program of Study Application

This is the fourth and final course in the Agribusiness program of study. For more information on the
benefits and requirements of implementing this program in full, please visit the Agriculture, Food and
Natural Resources website at https://www.tn.gov/education/career-and-technical-education/career-
clusters/cte-cluster-agriculture-food-natural-resources.html.

Course Standards

History and Evolution of Agribusiness

1) Describe the evolution of the agribusiness system in the United States by identifying historical
milestones resulting from the boom and bust cycle which created the development of the
modern day agribusiness sectors.

2) Evaluate local job postings and labor and workforce data to analyze the knowledge, skills, and
abilities necessary for employment in agribusiness, management, and entrepreneurship
occupations related to:
a) education and training including admission requirement and tuition requirements,
b) available positions,
c) salaries,
d) cost vs. benefits of education/training,
e) potential lifetime earnings,
f) employment benefits, and
g) possible need for relocation to advance.

3) Compare and contrast different business and ownership models of agribusinesses (such as
proprietorships, partnerships, corporations, limited liability companies, franchises, and
cooperatives.) Include the scope, economic impact, and future trends of a specific type of
agribusiness locally, regionally, nationally, and globally.

Saving, Investing, and Financing

4) Analyze and explain how the different forms of saving, financing, and investing can contribute
to financial well-being, building wealth, personal financial goals, and a sound agribusiness.
Compare and contrast these financial services to recommend the appropriate service for
specific personal and/or agribusiness financial goals.

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 5) Demonstrate the accurate analysis of financial data management by maintaining balanced
records for all accounts within a variety of diversified agricultural enterprises or supervised
agricultural experience programs (SAE) by performing the following processes:
a) recording and posting entries to affected supplies, inventory, notes receivable,
insurance, accounts payable, and taxes,
b) preparing profit and loss statement for a specific enterprise (plant, animal, or service),
c) record closing entries of temporary accounts including revenue, operation expense,
non-cash expenses, closing inventory, non-current inventory, etc., and
d) prepare end of the year closing reports to project profit, documentation to secure
loans or investors.

6) Compare and contrast the differences between personal, business, and farm financing,
including but not limited to sources, terms, and available risk management strategies.

Recordkeeping and Accounting

7) Distinguish between bookkeeping and accounting. Justify the need for organized
recordkeeping processes as an integral part of a comprehensive management system.

8) Analyze needed structure and objects (such as charts and graphs) to convey particular
meaning or draw conclusions from a spreadsheet dataset to make sound data analysis.
a) Create charts and graphs that summarize appropriate data series, including
differentiating between rows and columns in source data
b) Format charts and graphs by modifying legends, sizes, parameters, layouts and styles
and positioning
c) Insert and format an object (such as a textbox, SmartArt or image) and format its
border, positioning, properties, styles and effects and colors

9) Recommend the components of a business plan for different agricultural enterprises.

Demonstrate the ability to prepare basic personal and business records, including budgets,
income statements, balance sheets, cash flow statements, profit and loss statements, and
equity statements.

10) Evaluate different recordkeeping or accounting platforms to recommend the best platform
for a specific financial strategy.

11) Analyze and explain the basic personal and business financial records to complete taxes,
measure profit and loss, liquidity, equity, income tax, employment and SAE related
applications including resume, budgets, income statements, balance sheets, cash flow
statements, profit and loss statements, liquidity, and equity statements.

12) Apply fundamental principles of financial recordkeeping to agribusiness planning, logistics,

and operations, including at a minimum the following:
a) Differentiating between fixed and variable costs
b) Determining pricing methods
c) Using general ledger and basic accounting principles (accrual vs. cash basis)

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 d) Calculating depreciation, current and not current inventory values, and change in
total net worth
e) Estimating simple and compound interest

13) Explain the relationships between depreciation, taxation, and insurance records as being part
of a sound personal and business strategy.

Consumer Finance

14) Examine personal and business records using specific responsible personal finance practices
to recommend basic financial management and financial security tips.

15) Examine essential principles of consumer finance by summarizing common banking

procedures and services, including establishment of personal and operating accounts.
Compare and contrast costs and benefits of financial services based on personal
characteristics, wealth, debt, and risk management.

Economics of Agribusiness

16) Explain how economic principles apply to agribusiness, including macro versus micro
systems, factors and effects of competition, inflation, pricing, and supply and demand
relationships.

17) Analyze the role of government in setting monetary, fiscal, and taxation policies that affect
the operations of agriculture businesses.

18) Assess the global impact of American commodities on world food markets. Compare and
contrast the impact foreign trade laws affect supply and demand in Tennessee, the United
States, and the world economies.

Business Planning and Management

19) Assess the importance of entrepreneurship in society. Differentiate between characteristics

of successful and unsuccessful entrepreneurial endeavors. Evaluate methods for identifying
opportunities in entrepreneurship and outline the major steps in starting an agribusiness.

20) Develop, revise, and present a comprehensive business plan for an agriculture-related
business. Address at minimum the following components: type of agricultural ventures,
projected profits, expenses, margins, returns on investment, and facilities and equipment
needs.
a) Description of the type of agricultural venture,
b) executive summary,
c) vision and mission statements,
d) industry overview,
e) market analysis,
f) marketing plan,
g) financial plan, and

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 h) needed facilities and equipment.

21) Evaluate and recommend the appropriate managerial skills needed to effectively manage
various sizes of agriculture-related business from a family operation to a cooperative
business.

22) Compare and contrast the various state and national regulatory agencies developing policies
governing modern agribusinesses. Provide a full explanation of the impact of each agency.

Standards Alignment Notes

References to other standards include:
• SAE: Supervised Agricultural Experience: All Agriculture students are encouraged to
participate in a Supervised Agricultural Experience program to practice and demonstrate the
knowledge and skills learned in their agriculture courses.
• AFNR: National Agriculture, Food, & Natural Resources (AFNR) Career Cluster Content
Standards: Students engaged in activities outlined above should be able to demonstrate
fluency in Standards ABS and CS at the conclusion of the course.
• P21: Partnership for 21st Century Skills Framework for 21st Century Learning
o Note: While not all standards are specifically aligned, teachers will find the framework
helpful for setting expectations for student behavior in their classroom and practicing
specific career readiness skills.

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